CF Blog

4 september 2010
Twitters OAuth changes break HTC Peeps login
I've got a HTC Desire Android handset and I use the Twitter Application that ships with it, Peep. Recently it stopped logging in for me, after a quick search around online it looks like Twitter have finally made their OAuth login authentication mandatory for third party applications.

This is a good thing in itself, but it does raise the question of when a platform changes from being just 'open' to being so wide spread that it is considered as a public API. I'm not in a position to comment on why Peep wasn't updated to work with OAuth before it was released, but it does make you question who is responsible for maintaining the service levels of public API's.

If Twitter have published and promoted their API, surely it is their best interests to maintain its functionality, and ensure some level of backwards compatibility? This is a tricky point to argue, as on one hand it is very good that they are maturing their platform with new features and security, but on the other hand they do risk alienating the community they rely on by introducing new features that require third party application changes. By this I mean changes that require an update, and are not backwards compatible, rather than just not updating and missing out on any new functionality.

This is especially prominent in this instance as it affects the Twitter Application that actually ships with HTC Android handsets, so it is guaranteed to be quite widespread.

3 september 2010
Online Clojure Documentation

ClojureDocs - Not only will this be useful if you're learning Clojure but it is an awesome example of online documentation! Easy to navigate (drill into Clojure Core and scroll down - the ToC stays visible), everything is categorized, drilling into any function shows examples and you can click to expand the actual source code of the function!

3 september 2010
Escaping Form Values - Understanding The ColdFusion htmlEditFormat() Life Cycle
When users can interact with your website by submitting content, it opens your site up to potential harm. In the worst case scenario, this might provide malicious hackers with a way to execute Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks; in the best "bad" case scenario, it might simply mess up your site's layout and lead to a poor user experience. All of these outcomes can be avoided if you understand how data output gets rendered, where it needs to be escaped, and how to escape it. When it come ... Read More »
3 september 2010
Jason Levine
As CodeBass readers know, the purpose of this project is to bring music lovers together from all over the Adobe community. However, it became fairly obvious to me early on that it would also serve to expose people to platforms with which they don’t typically interact. The CodeBass team itself represents a good mix. Sure, [...]
3 september 2010
Adobe AIR and Microphone Support
So one of the cooler features of Adobe AIR is it's ability to work with the user's microphone. I whipped up a quick sample of this feature today that demonstrates this. In this first entry we are simply going to monitor the user's audio and in the ne... [More]
3 september 2010
Thinking in Clojure?

There's a discussion on the Clojure mailing list about how to learn to "think in Clojure" (or think in Lisp or, really, think in functional programming terms). A prominent recommendation is The Joy Of Clojure by Michael Fogus and Chris Houser, which everyone says is a great book, but here are a couple of free online books that were also recommended:

  • Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Abelson, Sussman, and Sussman. It's the "entry-level subject in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology" and it uses a dialect of Lisp called Scheme, not Clojure, but it provides a good grounding in both computer science and functional programming.
  • How to Design Programs by Felleisen, Findler, Flatt and Krishnamurthi. This is another introduction to programming / computer science style book that also uses Scheme for its examples.

Enjoy!

3 september 2010
Quick AIR Development Trick - Send to Second Monitor

I've been developing and debugging an AIR app for an upcoming demo, and running into the same problem, I start debugging the app in ADL, and immediately have to move it over to my second monitor so I can see code while looking at the app.

Or I could just set the X and Y coordinates in my application manifest file. Now it launches on the second monitor every time.

Just have to remember to switch back before production.

3 september 2010
Help Wanted: Web Application Developer and Mobile Application Developer
Ravenglass is seeking two application developers: one Web Application Developer and one Mobile Application Developer. Will consider contract, contract-to-hire, or full-time with salary plus full benefits. Flexible commuting arrangements considered Web Application Developer Degree in Computer Science or related field required. Must have demonstrable experience with HTML, XML, AJAX, and SQL. Web application development experience in ColdFusion, JSP, ASP.NET, or PHP is also required. Mobile application development experience is a plus. Mobile Application Developer Degree in Computer Science or related field required. Must have professional mobile application development experience with iOS or Android OS. Web application development (ColdFusion, PHP, ASP.NET) and HTML5 knowledge are a strong plus. Professionalism and strong communications skills are a must. Apply with resume and cover letter to jobs@ravenglass.com.
3 september 2010
jQuery css()
I am the process of migrating a code base from Prototype + old-school JS to jQuery (the new mayor of Awesome Town), and ran across some code that was replacing some (but not all) styles of an element. This led me to jQuery’s css() method, one of the many handy CSS-related features in jQuery.. As [...]
3 september 2010
Tweetdeckin' the Twitter

I mentioned before that I'm on Twitter. I thought I'd mention what tools I use. I use Adobe AIR desktop application called tweetdeck from tweetdeck.com (screenshot). I have 4 columns that I keep track of. First column is the main twitter timeline with all the people in it that I'm following. The 2nd column is the essentially the same as the @mentions (or in this case, @webRat) link on the twitter website. So, anyone that talks directly to me or happens to mention my username, that tweet will show up there. The 3rd column is a simple search on the world "Railo." The 4th is pretty much everything CFML related (search: coldfusion OR cfml OR cfbuilder OR "coldfusion builder" OR cf9 OR cf8 -job -jobs) - I use this column for trying to assist people with regular cfml questions or trolling for haters ripping on cfml.

Until Tweetdeck gets their Android app up to speed, I just use the 'official' twitter app for Android.